HELP - Nitro Aged Lake Placid Blue

Josh_Cosku

Hi Guys, 
We have just started a new project with a talented luthier friend and I would really like to land the color “aged lake placid blue”. Like greenish blue. Examples from the web:




I shared some photos with him and he made his first trial. He came up with a really good color adding a few layers of yellow on standard lake placid blue but that is not exactly what I have in my mind.

It is greener and lighter than I want. Do you have any recommendations for nitro finish? I want to get a color slightly darker and closer to blue. Thanks a lot!

WezV

It's pretty close and would definitely count as an aged LPB, just needs to be a touch darker and richer to match the references.

I would see how it looks with some aged parts on it as the freshness and consistency of colour makes it hard to judge at this point

Also be aware the camera and lighting can give deceiving results.

If you are ultimately still not happy, ask him to re do it, but he has delivered an aged LPB... I assume he can mix up a different colour or add a different tint.  I would be adding a bit more Amber tint as a first step, going back and starting with a darker blue if that doesn't get where you want

SteveRobinson

I agree with Wez, it looks pretty good to me.

This is my "Ocean Turquoise" which is a dark blueish green.

Corvus

I'd say if anything yours looks closer to real aged LPB. All of them look too even really, are they CS or similar? Photo colours vary massively - lighting, different cameras, monitors etc etc. Like a while ago we were trying for an aged off-white colour. The same ref photo looked whiteish on one device, with a pale beige tint on another, and primrose/yellowy tint on a third.

Real aged LPB below, @monquixote Strat -

monquixote

Corvus said:

I'd say if anything yours looks closer to real aged LPB. All of them look too even really, are they CS or similar? Photo colours vary massively - lighting, different cameras, monitors etc etc. Like a while ago we were trying for an aged off-white colour. The same ref photo looked whiteish on one device, with a pale beige tint on another, and primrose/yellowy tint on a third.

Real aged LPB below, @monquixote Strat -

Indeed most people think my guitar is green (As did I until I took the backplate off).

Josh_Cosku

@WezV @SteveRobinson Thanks guys! Really helpful.

@Corvus @monquixote super cool color. I think this is very very close to what I want. Looks lovely.

By the way my friend removed and painted again yesterday and we are very happy with the result. We will be keeping this one. He told me that he used normal LPB and than tried different colored tinted clear coats with amber, black etc..

ICBM

The colour looks nice. He missed a bit on the side though - or is that preparation for fixing the nasty ding that must have unfortunately happened right after he finished it?

Josh_Cosku

@ICBM he tried sanding a little bit and and a ding for understanding how relicing will look.

ICBM

Josh_Cosku said:

@ICBM he tried sanding a little bit and and a ding for understanding how relicing will look.

Sorry, that was my bad attempt at humour .

I understand doing a nicely aged finish - including the tinting, and even some checking - but I don't get the appeal of damaging it. It just spoils a nicely done finish, for me.

WezV

A discoloued and checked guitar with no marks or damage can be just as unrealistic as one with too much.

Its all about getting the balance right.  For me you need to consider.

Colour - how the base coats fade, if they do.  How the top coats discolour and were that happens most.

Lacquer deterioration- checking, sinking  and wear through

Damage - dints, dents, scapes.

Patina - ingrained dirt, staining,  softening of gloss

A good relic will get at least 3 of those right.